World Environment Day
Sustainable Ways to Contribute to the Environment.
Discover the importance of this annual international holiday and simple sustainable activities you can be a part of.
This Sunday, June 5th, is World Environment Day! This day has been celebrated since 1974, and its purpose is to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental action. This annual event is a chance to celebrate our natural heritage and enhance people's understanding of issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and sustainable development.
This year's theme is "Only One Earth," and it's fitting because it reminds us of perhaps the most significant collective responsibility we have - to care for our only home. We all share this planet, and adopting a lifestyle that makes it healthier is not only beneficial for us but for others that share it with us.
The world we live in is beautiful, but it is becoming more polluted. We can do things to help protect the environment daily that don't require much effort and that everyone can do. Keep reading to find out how you can contribute.
Reduced Food Waste
One way to make a change is by reducing your food waste by composting. Composting is a great way to save money, reduce your carbon footprint, and help the environment. It's also easy!
Composting works by converting organic materials like vegetable scraps and coffee grounds into a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used in gardens. This process transforms waste into something useful while reducing landfill waste by up to 90 percent. By composting at home versus throwing away those same items in the trash can, you can save up to 100 dollars per year on trash collection services.
Recycling and Reusing
Recycling and reusing are both great ways to contribute to the environment. They reduce the amount of waste in landfills and help conserve natural resources.
In Canada, we have already made great strides toward becoming more environmentally friendly. For example, recycling is important because it reduces pollution and conserves natural resources by keeping materials out of landfills.
- In 2015, Canadians recycled over 25 percent of their waste—almost one-quarter of all our trash.
- Recycling also creates jobs—more than 600,000 in Canada alone—and saves energy by reducing the raw materials needed to make new products.
- Recycling aluminium cans saves 95 percent of the energy needed to make new cans from scratch. To run a 100-watt light bulb for almost 20 hours that's enough energy.
- Recycling a single plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for three hours.
But recycling isn't enough on its own. To really make a difference for our planet, we need to reuse as much as possible. That means reusing bags instead of buying new ones every time you go shopping (or even just bringing along an old one from home), using refillable water bottles instead of buying new ones every time you're thirsty (or bringing along an old one from home), and lending books instead of buying new ones when you're done reading them (or even just checking them out from the library).
Sustainable Energy Consumption
You can make a big difference by simply being conscious of your energy usage when it comes to the environment. You can start saving money and reducing greenhouse gas emissions today with the right tools.
A straightforward way to start is by swapping out any incandescent light bulbs in your home with LED or CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs. These types of lighting are more energy-efficient than traditional bulbs and will save you money on your electricity bills over time.
Another easy change you can make is using an energy monitor for your electronics like television sets and gaming consoles. These devices will show how much power each device uses when it's turned on so that you can get an idea of how much electricity different activities consume each day (or week). An example would be switching off your computer when not in use instead of leaving it running all day long without even opening up any programs.
Supporting Your Local Community
There are many ways to help the environment while contributing to your local community. Supporting local businesses is one of the best ways you can do this. If you choose to buy locally grown produce, goods, and services instead of those produced elsewhere, it will help the economy within your community grow stronger. You can also volunteer at a local charity that supports environmental causes like planting trees or cleaning up a stream near you. The more people who volunteer together, the more effective they will be in their efforts!
As well as helping out with charities that focus on nature conservation or education about sustainability, another excellent way for individuals and families to give back is by donating to schools or sporting clubs, for example, in their area which may need financial assistance from time to time due to lack of funds being available from government agencies.
Sustainable Fashion
As we celebrate World Environment Day this month, we wanted to share some statistics that show how sustainable fashion is part of sustainable ways to contribute to the environment in Canada.
First, let's talk about the impact of our clothing. Did you know that we throw away 6 million tonnes of textile waste in Canada alone each year? That's like a landfill area the size of Toronto. Recycling and reducing are vital, but it is not enough to meet sustainable goals.
For example, did you know that if everyone in Canada bought just one less piece of clothing each year, we could save more than 3 billion litres of water? That's equal to over 40 Olympic-sized swimming pools! By choosing sustainable options like second-hand clothing or recycled fabrics instead of buying new items from unsustainable sources like fast fashion brands—you can help reduce your impact on the planet.
We hope you enjoyed reading about these sustainable ways to contribute to the environment. We believe that everyone should have access to information about how they can reduce their environmental impact and help preserve our planet for future generations.
Final Word
Each and every one of us can contribute to making the world a better place by living more sustainably on World Environment Day and beyond—and that includes you!